[English Note] Everyday Dictation

Welcome!
I am looking forward to reading your updates.

(2012-07-02 60-Second Mind) Do We Care About Future Generations?    (←U can download MP3 for free in this website)
    We care about our children and the world that we (they’ll) inharent (inherit). And we care about their children. But when it comes to the generations we won’t be around to know, the ties turn to less strong–at least when it comes to dealing with how our current behavior might impact future generations.
    But researchers have found that remind (reminders) of our own motality (mortality) may motivate us to make intro-generational (inter-generational) trade oss (trade-offs) that benefit future communities.
    Volunteers were asked to read an article about fetal airline accident. Then they had to play the role of the head of a company that discovered a new source of cheap, efficient energy. They had to decide how much of that energy should be used by the company today versus saving it for use by others in the future. And it turns out those who were prime (primed) to think of mortality were much more likely to save the resource for future use by others. The study is in the general (journal) psycological (Psychological) Science.
    The researchers say that by making a difference for future generations, we gain a sense of purpose that come backs (combats) the feeling the fanality (finality) when we face our inevitable mortality.  

Misspellings:
    mortality; psychological;
Words misheard:
    they’ll; inherit; reminders; inter-generational; trade-offs; primed; journal; combats; finality.
Words and phrases need to know:
1. inherit: v. receive (property, a title, etc) as a result of the death of the previous owner 继承；遗传。
2. reminder: [C] n. something that makes you notice, remember, or think about something提醒物, 提示, 催单  e.g.: reminder of: a reminder of the dangers of drinking and driving
3. mortality:  n. 死亡率, 死亡数目, 必死性 e.g.: ①mortalities from cancer ②My mother's death forced me to face the fact of my own mortality. ③an appallingly high infant mortality rate (=number of babies who die) ④Mortality from heart disease varies widely across the world.
4. inter-generational: (inter-generation: 代际) inter-: (One of the meanings) between, among
5. trade-off: [C] n.(对不能同时兼顾的因素)权衡, 物物交换,取舍。1. a situation in which you balance two opposing situations or qualities. e.g.: ①There is a trade-off between doing the job accurately and doing it quickly. ②She said that she'd had to make a trade-off between her job and her family. 2. [usually singular] a situation in which you accept something bad in order to have something good. e.g.: For some car buyers, lack of space is an acceptable trade-off for a sporty design.
6. airline: [C] n. 航线, 航空公司 e.g.: That was the worst airline disaster in history. 那是历史上最严重的空难。
7. primed: adj. 待发的（准备好的）
8. combat: [C, U] n. 战斗, 试图解决 v. ①战斗, 斗争, 搏斗；②试图减少﹑ 减弱或消灭（某事物）
9. finality:  n. 终结，定局。 e.g.: She spoke with (an air of) finality, ie gave the impression that there was nothing more to be said or done. 她以做结论式的口吻讲话。

Notice:
    Next time after finishing the dictation, I should and must check it at least 1 time! Pay close attention to the small words, spelling and grammar. Haven’t done dictations, even listened to news for a quite long time, obviously, I go backwards ┭┮﹏┭┮ Scheisse…
    Well, calm down. It’s time to forge ahead. Keep it up.

RED WORDS are correct.

Dictation is a great way to improve your listening.

As for me, I used to do dictation when I prepared for IELTS.

Keep going....

Thank you for your sharing.
As you know,it is have great help for me.
As for me, I used to do dictation when I prepared for CET4.
I am looking forward to reading your updates

(2012-07-08 60-Second Earth) 35 Years of Renewable Energy
    On July 5, 1977, a group of scientists and engineers opened the Solar Energy Research Institute in the Colorado fotiles [foothills] of the Rocky Mountains. By 1980, the outfit had a budget of $100 million dedicated to researching [research] [and] development of fotoval tax [photovoltaics] and solar foremal [thermal] power. They also strove to educate the public about solar power and energy efficiency.
    Such sunny dreams faded during the regular [Reagan] administration but the scientific outfit rebounded in the early 1990s, now called the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Its manded [mandate] expanded to everything from [algae-]based biofuels to harnesting [harnessing] the foremal [thermal] energy in hot rocks.
    Now NREL is turning 35, and such sources remain a small fraction of the U.S. energy supply, despite percipate [precipitous] drubs [drops] and [in] the cost of renewable technologies like wind and solar. More than 80 percent of U.S. energy still comes from burning coal, oil and, more and more, natural gas.
    In addition, recent government efforts to boost the future of solar manufacture [manufacturing] in the U.S. have ended [in] bankrupcy [bankruptcy], from Solendra [Solyndra] to, more recently, About [Abound] Solar. So there’s plenty more work to be done to make renewable energy [a] reality. To avoid catastrophic climate change, that will be [let's hope it doesn't] take another 35 years.

[RED WORDS] are correct.
Misspellings:
    foothills; bankruptcy;
Words misheard:
    research; photovoltaics; thermal; Reagan; mandate; algae-based; harnessing; precipitous drops; manufacturing; let’s hope it doesn’t;
   SMALL WORDS: and; in; in; a;
Words and phrases need to know:
1. foothill: n. one of the smaller hills below a group of high mountains. e.g.: the foothills of the Himalayas
2. outfit: n. ①全套装备; 全套工具; 全部用品 ②一套衣服（尤用于某场合的）③（协同工作的）集体, 组织。outfitter: （设备﹑ 男服或童服的）供应商, 商店
3. photovoltaics: n. (电子)光声伏打学
4. thermal: adj. [尤作定语] ①热的; 热量的 ②温暖的; 热的 ③（指衣物）保暖的, 防寒的。n. 热气流（如滑翔机藉以上升的）
5. [When seeing xx administration, I should be aware that “xx” is very likely to be a president’s name. = =b]
6. mandate: n. (常单数) ①（党派﹑ 工会等的拥护者对所在组织的）授权 ②（旧时）（授予某国对某地的）委托统治权。v.（尤被动） ①委托管理 ②授权统治 ③命令某人做某事
7. algae: n. (pl.) 藻; 藻类。(sing: alga)
8. harness: v. ①控制及利用（自然界的力量）以产生电能等。e.g.: harness a river, a waterfall, the sun's rays as a source of energy 利用河水﹑ 瀑布﹑ 太阳光作为能源 ②上挽具。n.马具，挽具
9. precipitous: adj. ①very sudden. e.g.: a precipitous decline in stock prices ②dangerously high or steep e.g.: a precipitous path ③formal happening or done too quickly, and not thought about carefully e.g.: a precipitous marriage
10. drop: n. [sing] (比喻) decrease 下降。e.g.: Manufacturers report a big drop in new orders. || a drop in temperature

    I’m really unfamiliar with scientific articles. Even, sometimes I’ve guessed the meaning of the article, sentences, words… But I don’t know them exactly!!! ...(lll￢ω￢) No practice, nothing will be familiar to me.
    BTW, comments under articles in that website sometimes are more worth reading than articles themselves.

Today is the second day. Happy to see you again.

I believe you will achieve a lot in the summer holidays as long as you keep it like this.

(July,8 2012 60-Second Mind) Lingering With A Decision Breeds More Indecision
    What’s more important, a decision with life-long consequences, like getting married or moving? Or a decision about what to have on [for] lunch? New research finds that we may [might] magnify a seemingly trivial decision[’s] importance—if we find it difficult and we spend a lot of time making it.
    In the study, volunteers chose between two flat [flight] options. One group was told the trip was long and so it was important they chose the best option. The other group was told the trip was easy, so either option was fine. To manipulate the decision[’s] difficulty the researchers presented the two options either on the [in a] readable type sides [size] or on the [in a] hard-to-see tinny [tiny] sides [size].
    When deciding about the tough trip, the subjects spent just as long deliborating [deliberating] over the easy to read options as the hard to read options. But for the unimportant decision, participants spent significantly more time with the hard-to-read option. In fact this group spent even more time than either of the groups faced with the important decision.
And this extra time and effort let subgestable leave [led subjects to believe] the decision was important, despite being told it was an easy trip and so and [an] easy decision.
    So time equals difficulty, which been trains likes to [then translates into] importance, which leads to even more time spent deciding. The researchers call this predictment [predicament] “decision quicksand.” Speaking of which, I think I’ll have to be on tea [the BLT]. Or maybe the chicken salad. Xxx [Then again,] the burger looks good…

[RED WORDS] are correct
Misspellings:
    tiny; deliberating;
Words misheard:
    might; flight; size; led subjects to believe; then translates into; predicament; the BLT; then again
    SMALL WORDS: for; in a; an;
Words and phrases need to know:
1. subject: a person or animal that is used in a test or experiment.实验对象。e.g.: The subjects of this experiment were all men aged 18-35.
2. predicament: [C] n.  difficult or unpleasant situation, esp one in which sb is uncertain what to do （困难的或为难的）处境, 窘况（尤指不知所措者）e.g.: Your refusal puts me in an awkward predicament. 你一拒绝让我感到十分为难。|| A loan of money would help me out of my predicament. 只需一笔贷款就能帮我摆脱困境。||the country's economic predicament || She went to the office to explain her predicament. in a predicament: e.g.: Other married couples are in a similar predicament.
3. quicksand: [C,oft pl] n. ①陷阱。A bad situation that keeps getting worse, and that you cannot escape from. ②流沙。
4. BLT: bacon, lettuce, and tomato the name of a sandwich that contains these foods.

   I've found that sometimes the reporter will haves some conjunction words like “and” or some else, yet that didn’t show up in the text. And sometimes, I just heard the sounds, yet cannot figure out the exactly words…What a shame. Besides, some collocations such as “sth. for lunch” “at lunch” that I’ve known for a long time shouldn’t being forgotten during dictation, such errors as “on lunch” should never appear again. Today's dictation don't have many new words, yet I should pay more attention to the small and easy words.

In my opinion, if you miss some conjunction words like "and", it won't affect your understanding, so that's not a big deal.

Keeping going. That will do.

I think you are doing pretty well so far.
Just a suggestion, after you write everything down, maybe you can take a minute or two to read through what you get.
Try to read and see whether the passage you wrote down make sense or not, and maybe correct some part that you know doesn't make sense and has grammar mistakes.

Thanks for your advice! It's so nice of you. : )
Check after dictation is really useful and necessary, which I haven't done well so far. My major problem is that even if I know some words don't make sense, I cannot recognize the correct words. Perhaps it's the lack of vocabulary and practice? Maybe I should listen to them more after dictation.

(July 10, 2012 60-Second Science) Stand Up Now To Stick Around Later
    Here's news you don't want to hear sitting down. Okay, are you standing up? Cutting down [on] the amount of time spent sitting might add years to average life expangency [expectancy]. So since report and the journal BMG open [says a report in the journal BMJ Open].
    Office jobs, long commutes, and catching up on TV shows—so many aspects of modern life can spare [conspire] to make us satentary [sedentary]. But this comfortable lifestyle takes a toll on our collective health. Obesity, diabeves [diabetes] and xxx [metabolic syndrome] are surgeon [surging]. Even people, you’re [your] humble host included, you [who] exercise regularly spend much of the workday plentied [planted] in the [a] chair in front of the computer. And very [various] studies suggest that these long structures [stretches] of being satentary [sedentary] have deleterious [deleterious] effects on our health, even if we're physically active at other times.
    The new report reviewed the scientific literature and found that if people could somehow manage to sit for a total of just three hours a day or less, it could add two years to the average U.S. life span. In forward, they have [Info worthy of a] standing avation [ovation].

[RED WORDS] are correct.
Misspellings:
   sedentary;
Words misheard:
    expectancy; says a report in the journal BMJ Open; conspire; diabetes; metabolic syndrome; surging; planted; various; stretches; deleterious; info worthy of; ovation.
   SMALL WORDS: on; your; who; a;  
Words and phrases need to know:
1. life expectancy: 预期寿命。The length of time that a living thing, especially a human being, is likely to live. e.g.: Life expectancy in Europe has increased greatly in the 20th century.
2. commute: [HERE] n. 乘车上下班
3. conspire: ①（事情）似乎同时发生对某人/某事物不利。events that conspired to bring about his downfall 导致他垮台的种种事件同时发生 ②密谋。e.g.: All six men admitted conspiring to steal cars.
4. sedentary: a. 久坐的，固定不动的。
5. toll: [HERE] n. a very bad effect that something has on something or someone over a long period of time. e.g.: a heavy toll on the environment
6. collective: a. 集体的，共同的。n. 团体，集体。
7. diabetes: 糖尿病。
8. metabolic: a. 新陈代谢的。
9. syndrome: n. 综合症状；一系列表现（事件等）
10. surge: vi./n. 蜂拥而出，洋溢，汹涌，激增。 [HERE] to suddenly increase= shoot up. e.g.: Oil prices surged.
11. plant: [HERE] v. (infml 口) position (oneself) 使（自己）处於某一位置。e.g.: plant oneself in a chair in front of the fire 坐到炉前的椅子上。
12. stretch: [HERE] n. a continuous period of time. e.g.: She doesn't leave the house for long stretches of time. [← is her name Emily? LOL]
13. deleterious: a. damaging or harmful. e.g.: the deleterious effects of smoking
14. info: is short for “information”.
15. standing ovation: 起立鼓掌。e.g.: The singer got a ten-minute standing ovation. 观众起立向那位歌手鼓掌达十分钟。ovation: n. 热烈欢迎，热烈的鼓掌。

    Honestly, I didn’t do it carefully enough. I don’t feel good today, perhaps lack of sleep or something. Except for swimming this afternoon, I’ve been awfully inefficient for a whole day…!!! π-π  Besides, the humorous tone at last made me smile for a while. : )

Good girl！

May I know how much time do you spend on English everyday?

(July 11, 2012) Northern Lights Make Noise, Too
    Interesting sound. An old of [I would have] guessed a Wild West performer was practicing with a bowl wheap wall [bullwhip while] also vancuming [vacuuming]. But no. That sound is barely [apparently] produced by the aworld borialice [aurora borealis], the northern lights.
    Since 2000 a research [researchers] at Finland’s Otto [Aalto] University have been collecting audios [audio as] part of what’s called the Aworldly [Auroral] Acustics [Acoustics] project. Folk tells [tales] have long held that the lights also produce out [odd] sounds, but the claims were hard to prove. And some researchers thought that any noises produced by the energetic particles [that] calls [cause] the light show would be far too high in the sky to be heard on the ground.
    But the latest results indicate that at least some sounds are produced very close to the ground. A setup of three ground-based microphones allowed researchers to estimate that the sounds occur perhaps just 70 meters up. The results were just presented at the International Congress on Sound and liberation [Vibration] in Pheonis [Vilnius], Slyservenia [Lithuania].
    More information about the sounds of the northern lights could lead to a more complete understanding of the phenomena [phenomenon]. So if you see in the world [an aurora], keep your ears open.

[RED WORDS] are correct
Misspellings:
    acoustics;  
Words misheard:
    I would have; bullwhip while; vacuuming; apparently; aurora borealis; researchers; audio as; auroral; tales; odd; cause; vibration; phenomenon; an aurora
   SMALL WORDS: that;
(Among them, mistakes like “acoustics” “researchers” “tales” “that cause” “phenomenon” should have been avoided. )
Words and phrases need to know:
1. Wild West: n. （美国初期的）西大荒，西部蛮荒地区。The western part of the US in the 19th century - used especially when referring to the time before there were many laws there.
2. bullwhip: n. 生皮制长鞭，牛鞭。
3. vacuuming: ①n. 真空处理 ②动词vacuum的现在分词。vacuum: ①n.真空, 真空吸尘器, 空白 ②adj.产生(利用)真空的 ③v.用吸尘器打扫。
4. aurora: n. 曙光，极光 (Although once I listened to Angela Chang’s album Aurora, I don’t familiar with its pronunciation. Besides, it was many years ago.)
5. borealis: a. 北的。aurora borealis: 北极光。
6. particle: n.颗粒, 微粒, 极小量, 质点, 粒子, [语]小品词
7. vibration: n. 震动，颤动。
8. Aalto University: 阿尔托大学（2010）芬兰三所大学合并而建立而成; Vilnius: 维尔纽斯（立陶宛共和国首都）; Lithuania: 立陶宛（位于欧洲东北部）。

Just know that you are an English major student.
I thought you were a high school student.

Hello again. I can see that you have made some improvement by now, but I also noticed that you used a lot of Scientific American listening as the everyday listening material. Just curious to know whether you are doing this dictation to practise your listening for a specific exam right now or just as a means of improving?

From my own past experience, it is harder to write scientific passages down even if you can understand the meanings as some of the words are rarely seen in everyday life.(I took a Chemistry class and there's no textbook so we have to take notes in class, but the prof sometimes will write the words down for us, so I guess, even for native speakers, to be 100% actuate in a dictation on science topic would be difficult.) And as you can probably see in the dictations you have posted here, a fair amount of mistakes you made are on scientific words, especially these two days.

If you are not training for a science-oriented purpose, maybe you can think about use other materials as dictation materials. Or at least not use Scientific American as the primary source of listening materials, it is certainly challenging enough, but maybe not the most helpful ones.

From your recent dictation record, you might want to first improve on distinguishing voicing( difference between s,z; t,d; p,b, etc. and liaison(sorry, don't know whether there is a English term for this, basically just when people speak fast, the final consonant and the following vowel are "put together" and sounds like one word.  )

    A million thanks for your helpful suggestions!!!!
    Sorry for replying so late as I've been out without studying these days.
    Use SA as the primary material ... Mainly because it is short. - -b. It just takes me 15 to 20 mins overall. Besides, I'm not good at scientific articles and vocabularies. But after reading your advice, I realize that scientific things do won't help me so much, at least less than current news. And I'm weak at political things as well. Although I've used BBC as my extensive listening material, time is really limited for that.
    Thus, I'll use NPR, BBC (BWS) as my intensive listening material from now on. If I cannot handle NPR news, I'll turn to VOA. And if possible, I'll try some CNN.
    Thanks again for your kindness and great suggestions!! : )

14, Oct. 2012 BBC news  [One piece]
Six Mxx[Moroccan] charities ask[have asked] government [there] to reconsider new guidelines that stop foreign families fostering and abandon[abandoned] Mxx[Moroccan] children. The six charities were very list the internet pertation and [have released an internet petition that]poses some tough questions. It asks the authority if the new guideline[’s] compatible with the international and national obligations to put children’s interests first. The charities say 24 babies were abandon[ed] every day in Mxx[Morocco] and with 2 xx[too few] Mxx[Moroccan] families coming forward to foster they want. The child traffic[traffickers] will fill the gaps. The authority is tighten the restrictions after some foreign families call[ed] for the rights to adopt rather than foster, a persive[perceived] threat to the children’s Muslim and Mxx[Moroccan] identity.  

[RED WORDS] are correct.
Misspellings: NONE
Words misheard:    
    Moroccan; Morocco; have asked; there; abandoned; have released an internet petition that; too few; traffickers; perceived;
　SMALL WORDS: NONE
Words and phrases need to know:  
1. Morocco: 摩洛哥（北非国家）[When watching the formula one race Monaco Grand Prix, I were aware of the existence of Morocco. However, still haven’t remember it, until now.]
2. Petition: formal written request, esp one signed by many people appealing to sb in authority. 请愿书。
3. Trafficker: someone who buys and sells illegal goods, especially drugs
4. Perceive: become aware of (sb/sth); notice; observe 意识到, 注意到, 观察到（某人[某事物]）

It seems that answers in putclub forum is not correct as well. QAQ

15, Oct. 2012 BBC news  [One piece]
The Austrian skydiver Phillip[Felix] Baumgartner has made an [unprecedented] [leap] from the [edge] of space. Mr Baumgartner stepped out of the capsue[capsule] on the end of the [helium] balloon that had taken him to an altitude of 39 km  He [sped] towards the landing site in New Mexico at more than 1,000km an hour, breaking a high altitude record that had stood since 1960. At a press conference, Baumgartner described his moment a doubt just before jumping.What a period of[appeared at the] time when (I) really thought I'm in trouble because I have many[man-out] push button where I can release a [drogue chute] which push me out of the flat [spin]. But at the same time, I knew that if I push that button, the thing is all over. We are not gonna fly supersonic. And it's hard, when you fall down at that speed, you have to make that decision, you know, somehow we have to make that call, do I push that button and stay alive, or do I fight all my way down and break the speed of sound and after a couple of seconds, I had that feeling, I get down the[it under] control and I did. That's the reason why I broke the speed of sound today.

[RED WORDS] are correct.
Misspellings: capsule;
Words misheard:    
       unprecedented; leap; edge; helium; sped;  appeared at the; man-out; drogue chute; spin; get it under control;
　　SMALL WORDS: NONE
Words and phrases need to know:  
1. skydiver: n. 在空中做造型动作的跳伞运动员。
2. unprecedented: adj. never having happened or existed in the past. E.g.: ①This century has witnessed environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale.②unprecedented levels of unemployment 失业率达到的前所未有的严重程度 ③a situation unprecedented in the history of the school 该校自有校史以来未曾出现过的情况.
3. leap: n.& v. 跳跃
4. helium: 氦
5. sped: past tense, past participle of SPEED
6. drogue chute: n. a parachute used to decelerate an object that is moving rapidly. 减速伞。/// [The word “chute” is just part of “parachutes” — which is exactly the name of my favorite band, Coldplay’s first album! Can’t believe I didn't recognize it!]
7. flat spin: 1. <空>水平螺旋 2. 激动慌乱。E.g.: I've been in a flat spin trying to get everything ready for our holiday. 我一直在惊慌之中尽力为我们的休假作好一切准备。


TOO late to do the analysis today. TMW I will.

So sorry to update so late. = =. Having classes, meetings and interviews, I haven't had enough time to do dictation these days. (Oct. 20, 2012)

i come here to see you~
good job!
i aman English Major too, it is a shame that i havent done any preparation yet...
shadow, i Will learn from you.